1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lacing station for an assembly machine for Venetian blinds.
2. Background Art
Assembly machines are known for the production of conventional Venetian blinds of different sizes and types. In these assembly machines, slats are punched and cut, and then, they are fed to a lacing station, in which the slats have been fed into the gaps between the vertical cords of a Venetian blind ladder cord. In producing Venetian blinds with these machines, the punching of the slats includes providing the slats with internal openings on the internal surface of a slat, at the position of the slat between the vertical cords of the ladder cord. The internally situated openings on each of the slats are at least provided at the two opposite ends, in the same position as the two outermost situated ladder cords, of each slat. The openings of the slats (at the same side) result in a vertically elongated channel, serving as a "route" for lift cords running internally in the slats of the Venetian blind.
In recent years, Venetian blinds, known as "routeless blinds", without internal openings on the slats and without the ordinary internally running lift cords, have been invented. DE-U-29701748.9 describes such a Venetian blind without internal openings on the slats, and consequently without the ordinary lift cords. One major problem with the usual Venetian blind, having internal openings on the slats, is that the light from the outside is not entirely shut out when the slats of the Venetian blind are placed in the slanted, "blackout" position. In spite of the slanted position of the slats, light is allowed to shine through the openings in the slats. This problem is especially annoying when there is broad daylight outside and when a total darkness is required indoors. This problem has been solved by the routeless blinds.
However, the problem of providing a suitable assembly machine for manufacturing routeless blinds has not been solved. In this regard, EP-B-0 674 092 describes a ladder guide mechanism for a Venetian blind assembly machine, having a ladder support guiding mechanism and an associated ladder support advancing mechanism, but not a mechanism for lacing the slats and ladder cords together.